While there have been declines documented in some areas, these are not believed to have substantially affected the global population. In addition, it has a wide distribution, large population and no apparent major threats other than coral loss. It is therefore listed as Least Concern.

Widespread in the western Pacific from eastern Australia northwards to Japan and eastwards to the Tuamotu Islands and Hawaii. Also along the Western Australia coast (G.R. Allen pers. comm. 2006). It occurs at depths of 1-25 m. Range size ~56.6 million km2, from values estimated by Jones et al. (2002) based on projection of distribution maps from Allen et al. (1998).

It has declined significantly in French Polynesia and the Great Barrier Reef (Berumen and Pratchett 2006, Pratchett et al. 2006), where there has been coral loss and bleaching. However, in the Pacific bleaching has been patchy, and it is unclear to what extent this affects the global population.

Very common species: mean of 2.38 individuals per 200 m2 in northern Great Barrier Reef (Pratchett and Berumen 2008)

The species is found in rich coral areas of lagoons and seaward reefs to depths of about 25 m. Animals are predominantly found in pairs. The species is an obligate, but generalist corallivore, capable of feeding on a very wide array of different corals (Pratchett et al. 2004). Like most butterflyfishes, this species recruits in relatively low numbers and requires live branching coral for recruitment. Consequently, recovery from population collapse is likely to be slow (Pratchett et al. 2008).

Relies on live coral for food and recruitment, and has declined significantly following climate-induced coral depletion on the Great Barrier Reef (Pratchett et al. 2006). However coral bleaching and coral loss has been patchy throughout the Pacific Ocean, and localised declines due to coral loss have not substantially affected the global population. There are no apparent threats other than coral loss.